title: Timing of planned repeat cesarean delivery after two or more previous cesarean sections--risk for unplanned cesarean delivery and pregnancy outcome.
abstract: objective: To assess the effect of the scheduled gestational age for a repeat planned cesarean section (CS) on the risk for adverse pregnancy outcome in women with two or more previous CS.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective cohort study of all women after ≥2 previous CS who were scheduled for a repeat planned CS. Women were divided into two groups at which the planned CS was scheduled: 38-week group or 39-week group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 377 were enrolled, 264 (70.0%) and 113 (30.0%) in the 38-week and the 39-week groups, respectively. The rate of an unplanned CS was significantly higher in the 39-week versus the 38-week group (23.0% versus 13.3%, p = 0.02). A repeat planned CS scheduled to week 39 was associated with an increased risk of maternal adverse outcome (31.9% versus 21.6%, p = 0.03). There was no significant difference in the rate of adverse neonatal outcome between the two groups (20.8% versus 23.0%, p = 0.5). The lowest rate of any adverse outcome (maternal and/or neonatal) was observed when CS was scheduled to 38 + 1 weeks of gestation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In women after two cesarean sections, scheduling a planned CS at around 39 weeks compared with at around 38 weeks is associated with an increased risk for maternal adverse outcome with no apparent advantage in terms of neonatal outcome.
authors.affiliation: Helen Schneider Hospital for Women, Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tikva, and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel.
authors.forename: Nir
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Melamed
authors.forename: Eran
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hadar
authors.forename: Liron
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Keidar
authors.forename: Yoav
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Peled
authors.forename: Arnon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wiznitzer
authors.forename: Yariv
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yogev
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017604:Cesarean Section, Repeat / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004630:Emergencies / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018566:Pregnancy, High-Risk; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014219:Trial of Labor; D016064:Vaginal Birth after Cesarean / Q000009:adverse effects